Religion touches nearly every corner of public life — from immigration courtrooms to church councils to the halls of political power. This week's reporting from Religion News Service covers a range of stories that intersect faith, community, and civic participation.
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Faith communities across America are raising urgent moral and civic questions this week — from the ethics of public executions to the rights of immigrants, the future of democracy, and the role of artificial intelligence in spiritual life.
Few chapters in American religious history shaped the political landscape of evangelical voters quite like the rise and fall of Jim Bakker's PTL empire. As Bakker's ministry built one of the most influential Christian broadcasting networks in the country, it also helped cultivate a massive, politically engaged evangelical audience — one whose eventual betrayal by PTL's leaders left lasting scars on public trust that extended well beyond the church pew and into the voting booth.
When women in states with total abortion bans need medical care, many travel to Pennsylvania — and a single executive order has stood between them and potential legal jeopardy. Now, that protection is at the center of Pennsylvania's 2026 governor's race, with real consequences for patients, doctors, and families across the region.
Religion touches nearly every corner of public life — from courtrooms in Australia to city halls in New York to podcasts examining faith, democracy, and technology. Religion News Service has gathered a wide-ranging set of stories and conversations that reflect how religious questions are shaping news across the globe this week.
A place of prayer became a scene of shock and grief when an Ohio Hindu temple was vandalized, leaving worshippers shaken and searching for answers. The incident has drawn renewed attention to the safety of religious minority communities across the United States.
The Trump White House falsely claimed Janelle Stelson’s campaign employed an undocumented immigrant. Stelson's team denies any connection.
Religion touches nearly every corner of American public life — from the Vatican's evolving stance on family to armed Jewish worshippers in the United States, from immigrant detainees on hunger strike to a Catholic archbishop taking the Trump administration to court.
Religion and public life are colliding on multiple fronts this week, from a historic legal battle between a Catholic archbishop and the federal government to fresh debates about Jewish security, papal priorities, and the fate of a prominent divinity school.
Three years after the Hamas attack on Israel killed 1,200 people, American Jewish communities are wrestling with a deeply personal question: how far should they go to protect their houses of worship? For a growing number of synagogues, the answer now includes armed congregants standing guard during prayer services.